Checkers as we know it today first appeared in 13th-century Europe. The game is a successful combination of the strategy of the game of the Mill (its predecessor), the playing pieces of medieval backgammon, and the board of chess.
This game varies from country to country. In Poland, it is played on a 100-square board and each player has 20 pieces. In England, the board has 64 squares. In Quebec, the game of checkers has been very popular since colonial times, and is typical of Canadian checkers. It is played on a 144-square board with 30 pieces which were formerly square and hexagonal.
